Pain and Darkness
by Valkyrie Sorrows
Summary: Dying of the Light: What if when Valkyrie and co. shunted to the other dimension and Valkyrie got tortured instead? And what if she doesn't return?
1. Chapter 1

Hands seized Valkyrie from behind. Skulduggery tried to fight, but there were too many Redhoods. She glimpsed Ravel being thrown to the ground and shackled, and then someone hit her and the world spun. Her knees gave out, but she wasn't allowed to fall.

Baron Vengeous came into view. From this close, he looked like a corpse. "Take the skeleton and the Elemental to the Racks," he told someone. "I want them screaming before the hour is up."

"And the girl?"

Vengeous barely glanced at her. "Take her to Professor Nye. Tell it, it can do whatever it likes to her."

"Wait," a rich, powerful voice sounded from behind. Mevolent's voice. He studied her coldly. His eyes piercing. "It seems like the skeleton has a new person that he cares deeply about," Mevolent sneered. "That's what makes you so weak skeleton." Mevolent turned to Baron Vengeous. "Take her to the Racks too. Make the skeleton watch her scream."

* * *

Valkyrie slumped against the cold, hard metal pole. Her wrists burned. She was on her own, Skulduggery and Ravel dragged elsewhere. The cell was quite spacious, though she couldn't move. She could picture a group of Redhoods regarding her silently. Water dripped down from a leak in the roof but she couldn't see where it was. The bars were gleaming, reinforced. Outside the cell the Rack was rusted. Obviously they didn't expect anyone to escape those bars. Valkyrie couldn't help but wonder why. The white artificial light stabbed her eyes, harsh.

Her mind was blank of any ideas. Skulduggery could not watch her scream. She knew she would try, though she could not get the grotesque sight of Stephanie when she was tortured out of her head. Skulduggery can't have his heart broken once again. Valkyrie smiled grimly. Skulduggery didn't have a heart, literally speaking.

Something fiery burned in her guts. She would not would not would not scream. The feeling of determination filled her. Cold and hard. Solid. Reliable. New strength surged through her.

Footsteps clicked on the rusty metal floors.

Dread surged through her. She forced it back with her determination. Redhoods arrived at her cell, and inserted a key. Six marching Redhoods filed into her cell. Baron Vengeous himself strode though. He glowered at her. In his hand he held a mean looking whip. Barbs lined the whip, deadly looking. The whip looked tough. Valkyrie forced herself to look up into the face of Vengeous and the whip.

"Mevolent ordered me to torture you first so that skeleton" he spat out the word "can hear your scream first though he can't see what is happening." He raised the whip…

…and the barbs sunk into her flesh, for they had taken off her jacket. The pain was excruciating. The barbs were lethally sharp. A scream fought out of her mouth, but Valkyrie choked it back. Tears blurred her vision. The wound burned.

Again, the whip landed.

Again.

Again.

Again.

And a scream broke free, reverberating, for the pain was too much too much too much and the wounds burned and her back was on fire and she couldn't stop the screams that followed…

**Thank you guys for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed it I will post second chapter soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! Frankly, I'm surprised I got so many people following/reviewing/favouriting this fanfic as this is only my second fanfic and the first one was horrible. Thanks! **

Skulduggery wanted to hit something. Valkyrie's screams echoed loudly down the hallway. That was probably the point - to not let Skulduggery see what was happening, only to hear Valkyrie's screams. A torrent of flashbacks went through his brain- wait, no – consciousness. He didn't have a brain. That quirky little thought would usually make him smile mentally, but now he ignored it. That thought was useless. It wasn't going to free him from the magic-binding shackles. It wasn't going to stop the continuous screams that tore Skulduggery apart, bit by bit…

_Valkyrie! _he screamed inwardly.

He was so going to kill Vengeous.

Ravel was just _there_, slumped.

Unhelpful.

Skulduggery was going to make him suffer too.

* * *

Baron Vengeous was having fun.

Well, as much fun as a corpse can get. A gleam came back to his lifeless eyes. Black spots flickered in front of Valkyrie. Hot blood trickled down her shoulder for she was kneeling with her back exposed to the whip. The whip that caused her to scream so much that her throat was raw no matter how much determination she had. Angry tears squeezed out of her eyes. She was so helpless, and she was causing Skulduggery pain. Valkyrie screamed once more as the whip landed again, though her throat begged her not to.

"Is that all your resistence?" taunted Vengeous. He landed another strike. The hardest yet. It left a path of roaring fire in its wake. Valkyrie screamed like never before. Serpine's red hand could not compare with this agony. It was over when it was over. This, it continued raging, pain upon pain upon pain upon pain upon pain.

Baron Vengeous flicked his whip.

Valkyrie flinched. She could not help it.

Vengeous threw back his head and laughed. "This was just a taster of what to come. You flinched. You'll be begging for mercy next, and then you'll be dead."

"Big talk for a corpse," croaked Valkyrie.

_Snap!_

Burning, searing pain. An explosion of white. Valkyrie's scream came out as a groan, for she couldn't concentrate on anything but the pain. The pain on her face, the barbs that dug holes. The pain came in waves. Her screams rising and falling, sobbing in between. The dam broke. Valkyrie had tried to ignore the pain and not scream that much. It partially worked. Yet now the pain was too bad to ignore. The pain struck her, again and again.

* * *

Skulduggery let loose a small groan. Ravel hunched even more next to him, trying to block out the noise. "Valkyrie," Skulduggery whispered, hollow. The screams and sobs and groans meant that they had broken Valkyrie partially. That was too much.

Too much.

* * *

Vengeous looked at her in contempt. "Now take her to that skeleton's cell. Make her whimper and sob and look broken. Drag her. Whatever that needs to be done." He barked at the Redhoods. Synchronized, two of them yanked her roughly, holding her arms. The yank disturbed her wounds and she let out a small groan through gritted teeth. They dragged her along the floor, none too gentle. The rough movements tore at her wounds and she groaned, again and again.

She was dimly aware that the Redhoods were slowing. The pain was consuming her whole. She forced herself to look up, to see Skulduggery and be strong.

Baron Vengeous, flicking his whip menacingly, saying _this is what I tortured her with._

Ravel, gawking at her. She was definitely a mess.

And Skulduggery…

_Oh Skulduggery… _sighed Valkyrie mentally

Skulduggery, frozen, uncomprehending at the gruesome sight of Valkyrie tortured.

**Okay, hopefully I wasn't too repetitive about anything. Thanks again for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I might update this and another chapter today. Enjoy! **

"Valkyrie?" whispered Skulduggery in a broken voice. He strained against his bonds, desperate. He was making a fool out of himself yet he needed revenge for the harsh whip markings on her back and on across her face that was an angry shade of red and the bruising and all the blood running freely and the pain Valkyrie must be in and he wanted to kill those stupid Rehoods and… and…

"Hi,' croaked Valkyrie, smiling weakly, obviously making a hard effort to seem stronger, his brave Valkyrie, witty Valkyrie, broken like this…

_This is my fault, my fault my fault my fault…_

Vengeous strode forward and pressed where Skulduggery can activate his façade. "It'll be nicer if I can read your expression." Vengeous chuckled. Skulduggery's facade flowed up – a very mundane face. Blue eyes and brown rugged hair with high cheekbones. The face's eyes were wide. "Like the piece of art I made out of your partner? Hmm?" snickered Vengeous. He lightly flicked his whip onto Valkyrie. The brabs sunk into her flesh.

Valkyrie moaned, sweat beading her forehead._ Valkyrie…_

* * *

Popping lights busted in front of her. Red and black, red and black red and black red and black red and black red and black red and black. She bit her lip, trying not to scream, swallowing the scream that threatened to rise. Vengeous tilted her chin upwards. "What's this? You're not screaming anymore?" he sneered. He drew his cutlass, the blade gleaming wickedly.

Lightly, he traced the previous wounds. He stabbed deeper each time, causing Valkyrie to groan more, raising the pitch into a scream. Ravel was still frozen, horrified at the sight, afraid of what will happen to him. Skulduggery had started to lose his cool, muttering curses under his breath, muttering Valkyrie's name over and over again, straining against his bonds. "See, skeleton? That's why you should never grow bonds. It makes you weak, -" he plunged his cutlass in, causing Valkyrie to scream "– and it makes someone else suffer. You're not so noble after all."

"You have made a lot of people suffer yourself," snarled Skulduggery.

He could not tear his eyes away from the mess Vengeous made out of Valkyrie's back. Vengeous snarled.

"One more word skeleton, and -" he drew a few drops of blood from Valkyrie's throat. Valkyrie gasped, eyes snapping open. Skulduggery stared.

"Don't-" he warned. Vengeous inched his cutlass closer.

"One word, she dies." He growled, glowering.

"I just said one word." Skulduggery knew this might mean Valkyrie's death, yet his anger washed forward.

Baron Vengeous got ready to sink his cutlass in.

* * *

"Valkyrie!" screamed Skulduggery. Vengeous chuckled, and got a mischievous glint in his eyes. He turned to the Redhoods. "Bring me Lord Vile," Four of them nodded, while the other two continued to grip Valkyrie's arms. Her arms were on fire, yet it was shadowed by the pain of the whip and cutlass. Her head pounded from the loss of so much blood. She felt dizzy like she was going to faint, yet Skulduggery might get the wrong idea. Vengeous put back his cutlass, and Skulduggery visibly exhaled. "Don't get your hopes up," chuckled Vengeous, and left the cell.

Everyone apart from the remaining Redhoods was surprised.

Vile wasn't even here yet. It seemed unlikely that Vengeous would give Valkyrie a breather.

"Valkyrie?" Skulduggery whispered gently. "Wait, don't say anything, it might aggravate your wounds,"

"I'm 'kay," slurred Valkyrie, forcing her lips to form the words. She choked, and immediately regretted saying that.

"I'm so sorry Valkyrie, this is all my fault," said Skulduggery in a hollow voice. There was muttering from Ravel, too faint to make out. Skulduggery heard it though. He slammed his fist into Ravel''s face. He could reach Ravel quite easily. "You deserved the pain. Valkyrie does not,' hissed Skulduggery. Ravel gargled. No one helped him. Ravel probably thought I deserved the pain, though Valkyrie bitterly.

* * *

The lights dim.

Shadows crept into the cell, slapping the Redhoods hands, and binding Valkyrie's arms to her sides tightly. She screamed as the shadows pressed against her wounds. "Vile," muttered Skulduggery angrily.

He was going to torture Valkyrie technically. Vile was him, he was Vile. Skulduggery couldn't believe it. Vile strode through the door, dismissing the Redhoods. He took in the scene. Stared at Skulduggery. Flicked his hand.

The shadows tightened. Valkyrie screamed, tearing her throat, for the shadows grew little pinpricks, digging in her previous wounds.

Skulduggery could not believe it.

_I am torturing Valkyrie._


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I did say I might update two chapters today =))) Anyways, I originally wanted a sad ending, but I guess some people might not want one and want a happy ending. Please review or PM me and I'll see which one is more popular. Thanks!**

"Stop it!" screamed Skulduggery, his facade still on, his face pale. Ravel should have not gloated, yet he could not help it. "She deserves it totally," Ravel muttered. Skulduggery punched him with all his anger. Ravel's head snapped backwards and then lolled forward. Vile cocked his head and released Valkyrie. Valkyrie collapsed, still bound, too tired and endured too much pain. Her eyes were closed. Skulduggery's eyes widened in alarm. Had Vile pushed too far? His thoughts became darker and darker as Valkyrie didn't move.

A twitch.

Skulduggery sighed in relief, yet he glared angrily at Vile, agony clear in his eyes. Valkyrie was being tortured by himself and that was too much to bear. He didn't have any ideas. He couldn't defeat Vile. That was true. The only way that he could think of was to try reason with him. Make the Skulduggery in Vile appear. He seriously didn't want to try reason with the person who tortured Valkyrie this badly, but he had to try. He took in a long, deep breath. Calmly, he said "You don't want to hurt her…"

* * *

Valkyrie's body was racked with pain.

The pain took a heavy toll on her. She could feel the cuts and holes. The bruises. Her mind was foggy. Skulduggery's velvet soft voice was not helping for it was like a lullaby. The Redhoods had disappeared. Only her arms rejoiced at the cool sensation of the shadows, yet it was affected by the pricks too. She explored her body. Everything was functioning yet everything was also begging to be shut down. Skulduggery… her mind murmured painfully. A fog was separating her from the real world…

"-rie? Valkyrie, can you hear me?" urgency pierced the fog…

* * *

Valkyrie coughed, trying to form words. Skulduggery broke off his reasoning halfway when he realized Valkyrie was trying to move. "Valkyrie, focus. Focus on my voice," pleaded Skulduggery.

Vile's armour grew spikes.

Little knives burrowed themselves into Valkyrie. Her eyes opened and widened, terrified. Skulduggery thrashed. This is what Melchonia did, thought Skulduggery, imagining the terror and pain Valkyrie must be experiencing. "Valkyrie!" screamed Skulduggery once again.

Flash blacks blurred by. Melchonia gloating. Saying some scars cut deeper and cannot be removed.

That was true.

The knives twisted lazily in her flesh. The pain was dobledby the horror of being tortured like this again. _No…no…no!_ Valkyrie screamed and sobbed, distantly hearing Skulduggery shouting, yet he was unable to help. Her body was going to shut down, and Valkyrie knew it. One part of her brain begged this… this awful pain to stop. The other part clung onto her life. Alice. Melissa. Desmond. Skulduggery. And…and poor Stephanie. Stephanie would go through all this pain just to be alive.

Valkyrie clung on, fighting. The knives stopped cutting her flesh after few minutes, and she wondered why, yet everything was dimming, blurring together, swirling, and the pain…

* * *

"You don't want to hurt her. She's my only family. You are lonely- I get that. But when you torture her it's like torturing your own wife or child," Skulduggery couldn't bring himself to say Valkyrie's name. She was so limp, so lifeless, so pale that Skulduggery wasn't sure that she was even alive. If he said Valkyrie's name, he would break down for sure. Ravel was still unconscious. It was just Skulduggery and Vile.

Vile stared at Skulduggery. He probably vowed to never use the word _family_ again after the continued talking, determined to not cause Valkyrie anymore pain. He often mentioned good sides and bad sides. He was desperate, yet he didn't let it show. The armour twisted and spiked, obviously not liking the conversation.

Maybe Vile got annoyed.

Maybe Vile got bored.

Whatever the reasons were, he conjured a small dart, made out of shadows. The shadows writhed, and looked ferocious.

Skulduggery faltered. His facade was beginning to fail. He didn't notice or his attention was on the dart. "I remember you researched it feverently. You… you know how to do it?" asked Skulduggery, obiviously scared.

Vile pointed the dart at Valkyrie.

"A death over half an hour with the worst torture imaginable. Only one minute peace before dying. It's a Necromancer legend that only selected few know of it…"Skulduggery trailed off, still staring. He knew that the torture before death was gruesome. If Vile sunk it in now, there would be no hope for Valkyrie.

Vile cocked his head. _Choose_, he seemed to say. Continue talking and risk Valkyrie dying yet he might have a chance to reason with Vile first, or simply just stop talking and let Vile torture her to death?

Neither option looked good.

For once, Skuluggery was at a loss for words.

Suddenly, Serpine was behind Vile and he used his red hand on Vile. Nothing happened. Vile turned and stared at him, not forgetting about the dart. Serpine frowned. Beside him was Peregine, a Teleporter. Valkyrie still hadn't stirred. Serpine was starting to panic. "What is this?" demanded Skulduggery. Serpine flashed him a crooked grin. "A rescue of course." Vile advanced. Serpine grabbed Peregine and suddenly Skulduggery was free and Ravel was being slapped. Ravel groaned and looked around, surprised. He quickly stood up and joined hands with Peregine.

Vile stared at the group. _Valkyrie!_ screamed Skulduggery inwardly, rushing forward. Very fast.

But not fast enough.

Vile sunk the dart into Valkyrie.

**Okay, I might update a bit slower because I need your opinions. Hopefully I will still be able to update tomorrow. =)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! I didn't get many people's opinion on sad or happy ending and I don't want people to start hating this story because I wrote a sad ending so I'll sort of mix it together.**

"NO!" yelled Skulduggery…

* * *

Coolness seeped into Valkyrie. It was like she had drunk a large amount of ice cold water. She welcomed it. It soothed her fiery, tortured body. It was so nice. She wondered what happened and who gave this wonderful gift to her. Why was Skulduggery free and shaking her anyways? He had tapped his facade back and he looked normal again. Well… apart from the fact he was shaking her and she really wanted to enjoy the coolness.

Coolness?

A burning feeling started from her toes, like she was burning slowly, ever so slowly at a stake. The pain, oh, the pain, was even more horrible than all the pain she had ever endured. Where was the coolness? What happened? Oh, the fire…

She screamed.

She begged for the pain to stop, yet she couldn't say anything through all the pain that consumed her whole. It was beyond comparison to anything. Nothing could describe the pain. It was all the torture instruments in the world combined into one times a billion.

Pain.

* * *

She had started screaming.

At first, she was calm, though Skulduggery had thought it was because her heart had burst from all the pain. Frantic, he had started shaking her, muttering 'Valkyrie' again and again. Vile had shadow-walked away. That small dart drained all his strength. Serpine and Peregine and Ravel stood off to one side, waiting for Skulduggery. Then she started screaming. It was blessed yet cursed. Blessed because she was still alive. Maybe…just maybe… he could save her. Cursed because he was being torn into shreds because of the screams. The screams that were worse than any screams she had ever uttered.

"Valkyrie, hang in there," he growled, and hugged her to his chest. He strode over to the group. He grabbed Peregine's hand and they teleported.

_Please don't die Valkyrie._

Skulduggery didn't care about anyone at that moment. He couldn't care less if Ravel escaped, or if someone had hit him, or anything else. _Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie,_ his mind chanted reverently. He got on a horse. Were they in the stables? Didn't matter. He swung up onto the horse, and galloped away. Was that Serpine shouting at him? Another pair of hoof beats following? _Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie. _She kicked and screamed and her eyes were rolling and she was so weak and limp and in so much pain that he had to ride faster faster faster nothing else matters only Valkyrie. _Valkyrie…_

* * *

Pain.

She was in the world of pain.

Was she screaming? What was she doing? Was she on the edge of insanity? Skulduggery? Alice? My parents?

_Let this pain stop._

_I just want to die._

* * *

The horse flew over the grass. Skulduggery kept urging the horse. He chose a good horse. That thought didn't cross his mind though. They were near their rendezvous point, so near, just a little more…

Signate flickered in front of him. The horse was panting heavily. _Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie._ Signate backed up a few steps, surprised, and horrified at the sight of Valkyrie. She was thrashing, her mouth opening and closing, tears streaming. "Go!" Skulduggery growled at him. It was only a growl, yet it was so forceful Signate didn't ask any question. His eyes widened in terror, timidly grabbed Skulduggery's hand and shunted.

_Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie._

_Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie._

_Valkyrie, Valkyrie, Valkyrie._

* * *

Blurred.

Why should she care anyways?

All she ever knew was pain. Pain. Pain. And more.

There was something… distinctive about the way she was being carried though. The hollowness. The tender way. The soothing yet broken voice. It stirred a vague memory at the back of her mind. Why care? But, no, this was important. Too important to be ignored. Something more than just pain…

Skulduggery.

"Sk—u-l—dug-ger-y" croaked Valkyrie. She tasted the name. Suddenly, her entire life was revived. It was a bittersweet feeling. All the people she cared about. Why she should hang on to her life. Oh yes, the pain was still there, yet new strength, feeble strength but strength nevertheless filled her. The pain was somehow less painful than before.

More endurable.

* * *

"Sk—u-l—dug-ger-y" croaked Valkyrie. Skuldugery thought he had gone crazy.

"Valkyrie," he whispered, ever so quietly.

_Hang on. We're nearly there._

_Until the end Valkyrie._

**So you guys can still review/PM about sad or happy ending. It's still not too late! Hope you enjoyed =)))**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! So sorry for the ever so late update, I was busy for a long time. Sorry! This might be the last chapter, so enjoy!**

"Move out of my way, dammit!" growled Skulduggery. He slapped Signate's hand away. Sanctuary officials had flocked around the recently returned group until Skulduggery had lashed out, hitting flesh. The sorcerers took the warning seriously and flattened themselves against the wall. Valkyrie whimpered, limp in his arms. Skulduggery jogged lightly, afraid of how limp Valkyrie was. Tanith walked out of one of the doorway, looking lost, mourning. When she saw Valkyrie, her eyes widened in horror. She stumbled. For the first time in her life, she stumbled.

* * *

She couldn't see.

What was happening?

Skulduggery?

Alice?

Mum and Dad?

The pain….

She could barely feel her body anymore…

* * *

Skulduggery laid Valkyrie on the surgery table gently. Tanith stood by the door. His hollow eye sockets glared at Nye.

"Well?" he said lowly "Can you heal her?"

Nye licked his lips nervously. His eye twitched in terror. "M-m-mmaybe… I have n-never ss-s-seen this kind of c-c-ccondition before…" Suddenly, Skulduggery had a gun pointed at Nye.

"Heal. Her." He growled. Nye needed no more urging.

It started to work, visibly shaking in fear…

* * *

Skulduggery held Valkyrie's hand, hat on his lap, head down. Nye had not objected.

* * *

_Fletcher barged in. Froze when he saw Valkyrie. He had a moment of déjà vu, back when Melancholia had tortured her. Nye, leaning over her, and Valkyrie lying there, so still…_

_But this time it was far worse. What pain Valkyrie had suffered… His heart wretched, and he realized that deep down, he still loved Valkyrie…_

* * *

_Tanith clenched her fist._

_Valkyrie lay so still, looked so small on the surgery table. Her back was in tatters. The whip had barbs that had damaged muscles. And that was only the non-magical torture she had been put through. The magical was far worse. Tanith doubted she had ever experienced half the pain Valkyrie had been through. Her heart was about to burst from agony. A tear dripped down her face…_

* * *

"Sku-uggery?" slurred Valkyrie. Skulduggery head snapped up so quickly he might've snapped his bone.

"Skulduggery?" whispered Valkyrie more insistently this time…

Valkyrie felt herself smile.

She was in heaven.

There was no pain.

She was lying down. A bony hand held her hand.

_Skulduggery,_ some part of her brain whispered.

Yes, Skulduggery.

"Skulduggery," she had tried to say. It came out slurred.

"Skulduggery," this time it was clearer.

"I'm here," came the low, velvety voice. Valkyrie smiled. Satisfied, she drifted off again.

_But I will come back,_ Valkyrie promised herself…

_When the pain and darkness clears…_

**So, this might be the last chapter, so you can tell me what you want me to write next in any way, I think I will write a Kane Chronicle one or Percy Jackson... Hmmm... the options are endless...**

**But thank you guys for all the reviews and support! I hope you enjoyed it :))))**

**Cathlinda**


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